A cyberattack can interrupt essential services within moments. But the lasting harm is not confined to downtime. What happens when attackers also compromise a person’s digital identity, an administrator’s permissions or the power to approve sensitive actions? Could a different identity architecture limit the damage?
The internet can fail. Mobile networks can disappear. A central service can become temporarily unavailable. But a person does not stop being who they are. Should their digital identity stop working as well? QEI explores a different approach: the internet as infrastructure for issuance and synchronisation, but not necessarily as a requirement for every individual proof.
In Italy, three biometric identity cards with their microchips removed with unusual precision were discovered within a matter of days. The cases raise a question that goes beyond the physical protection of a document: what happens to digital identity when its carrier is compromised?
Fraudsters targeting Italy’s Fideuram reportedly used deceptive communications and artificial intelligence to imitate the voice of a trusted person. The result: transfers totalling about €95 million. The case exposes a growing problem: if a person’s voice, image and communication style can be convincingly imitated, what should proof of digital identity and authority rely on in the future?
The Institute 1 April has completed the preparation of a proposal for a QEI – Quantized Encrypted Identity research pilot project for the Republic of Slovenia. The document represents the next step in the development of the QEI initiative.
